German laid-open patent application DE 10 2013 021 485 A1, which is incorporated by reference herein, discloses a method for alleviating the consequences of a collision of a vehicle with a further vehicle, wherein a vehicle level of the vehicle is set as a function of a determined vehicle level of the further vehicle, wherein in addition a horizontal degree of overlap between a deformation area of the vehicle and the further vehicle is determined and an automatic steering intervention for increasing the horizontal degree of overlap is carried out as a function of the determined horizontal degree of overlap. German patent DE 103 32 935 B4, which is incorporated by reference herein, discloses a motor vehicle having a pre-safe system which comprises at least one vehicle-surrounding detection device and a suspension and damping device which is arranged between a vehicle chassis and bodywork and can be actuated as a function of the signals which are received by the vehicle-surroundings-detection device and evaluated in a data-evaluation device, wherein the data-evaluation device of the vehicle-surroundings-detection device is linked to a control unit of an active chassis controller which actuates the suspension and damping device and by means of which a torque which counteracts a tipping moment of the motor vehicle in the direction of the collision object is applied in a pre-crash phase when an impact of a collision object on a side sill area is to be expected, wherein an adjustment time for the adjustment of the vehicle ride level is variable as a function of relative speed with respect to the collision object.